When one Blue Door closes, another opens. Acclaimed chef Dylan Cashman has just launched a new incarnation of his popular Palm Beach diner, The Blue Door, in Surry Hills.

The award-winning chef started his career in Sydney, working in the kitchens of Sean’s Panorama and Cottage Point Inn, before departing for Paper Daisy and Fins on the NSW Coast. Shortly after, he opened his first restaurant, The Blue Door on 5th in the breezy beachside suburb of Palm Beach on the Gold Coast. 

For the short time it was open, the tiny diner was named Best New Restaurant in Queensland, racking up praise for its paddock-to-plate ethos and its philosophy of provenance. 

Issues with the building forced the early closure of The Blue Door, but now it’s back and brighter than ever. The location may have changed, but the restaurant’s commitment to sustainability and ethical farming practices remains the same. Ninety-five percent of all the produce on the menu is sourced from NSW, with members of the team having visited all the supplying farms and fisheries. 

Each week, Cashman puts in an order for a whole or half animal and whatever fruit and veg is at its peak, which he’ll turn into a five-course degustation to serve over the next seven days. Any leftover kitchen scraps are turned into snacks, so nothing goes to waste. 

You’ll be waiting a long time to see the menu – it doesn’t exist. Dishes are delivered to the table with a detailed description of the produce used, where it came from, and how it was grown and raised, in a bid to get diners more engaged with the food in front of them.  

The degustation starts with two warm slabs of sourdough made from slow-growing lancer wheat from northern NSW. It’s served with cultured butter and a smorgasbord of salt rocks sourced from Pakistan, Bolivia, Austria and India. Each coloured crystal has its own unique flavour and aroma, encouraging diners to reflect on the terroir of each grain.

Next up, a Nordic-inspired dish of Aguna Murray cod tartare – the same premium, pond-grown cod that’s favoured by star chef Josh Niland.  It’s served finely diced, topped with kohlrabi matchsticks, pickled radish and fresh herbs snipped from the restaurant’s aeroponic garden. It’s finished with a cos lettuce dressing – a refreshing way to use up those less than perfect leaves. 

A flattened thigh of Camden Valley Farm spring chicken gets the charcoal treatment, the skin beautifully caramelised like yakitori. It’s seasoned simply with salt, pepper and smoke to celebrate the high-quality pastured meat. It sits atop a bed of sweet and snappy spring veg in a preserved lemon yoghurt that tastes of pure country goodness. 

Even better is the lamb belly. As rich and fatty as the underside of any pig, this curious cut has a luscious texture and rich, flavoursome taste. It’s accompanied with a carrot top zhoug and falafel crumbs that add spice and crunch. 

For dessert, Cashman takes a fruit-to-root approach to artichoke, combining malt ice cream with artichoke butterscotch and artichoke chips to create a sweet-savoury sundae that sings of the springtime thistle.

The Blue Door also offers a matched wine tasting, and this is one of the few times we strongly recommend going along for the ride – but not the ride home, you’ll definitely need a taxi. Wines are handpicked and poured at your table by the restaurant’s general manager Angelica Nohra who has a story to go with every drop. These are rare varietals from small, boutique producers – and the line-up feels less like a support act than a journey of its own.  

If you care about where your food comes from and how it got to you, The Blue Door offers a delicious entry to a more engaged style of dining. 

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